Honor thy Mother
by Wingsofhermes
Summary: First fanfic. Keep any criticism constructive, no flaming would be appreciated. The story follows the adventure Zorin takes as he discovers who his parents are and what his heritage entails . Various minor crossovers. Rated M for a reason people. Blood, violence, language, sexual content, skooma. ON TEMPORARY HOLD!
1. The lost son

Honor thy Mother

Zorin brushed his raven hair out of his eyes and glared at the lock he was trying pick. It was proving more stubborn then he had expected, and he had a small window before the Imperial Watch guard that was patrolling came back down the street. Frustrated, Zorin punched the door lightly, his leather bound hand thudded dully against the hard wood. He hated solo jobs like this, but was also aware that these were the ones that honed his skills more; on his own, he had to switch his gaze from the task at hand to his surroundings constantly, making sure he was never spotted.

Cursing under his breath as another one of his lock picks broke; he bit his lower lip as he contemplated what to do next. Perking up at the sound of clanking armor, he quickly cast a spell, seeing as his arm shifted out of visibility. Blended with the shadows to begin with, his form, while only distinguishable by a slight shimmer, was completely hidden as the guard walked by. This was why he preferred houses outside of cities that didn't have guards patrolling by he thought as he turned back to the door. Pulling out one of his last lock picks and inserted it into the door, seeing a thin green mist as the invisibility ended. Just because he could cast it didn't mean he could keep it up for very long, especially when he had to concentrate on something else.

Taking a deep breath, he fiddled with the lock again, determined to get into this house by midnight. After several seconds, he heard the final tumbler click and the door unlocked. Letting out a sigh of relieve, Zorin pushed the door open slowly, and closed it behind him. Allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the house, he looked around for anything of value besides what he came to steal in the first place. What was the point of stealing only one item if there are several coins and such just lying around? Chuckling a little, he snuck upstairs to where the owner, a high elf, slept, and was pleasantly surprised that the door was not locked. Quietly slipping inside, Zorin looked at the bed that was currently occupied, and was again pleasantly surprised as he spotted the key to the home on his nightstand.

Deciding that he didn't want to chance the door being locked more securely again if he wanted to come back for another reacquisition spree, he swiped the key and dropped it into his pouch. After shuffling around for several more minutes, he found the ring he was sent to get, and was about leave when his eyes settled on the table in the middle of the room with a barrel next to it. Hesitantly, he looked inside, and found some food. Feeling a devious grin play across his face, he pulled an apple out of his pack, and dropped it inside. With that, he turned and left the house, locking it back up as he left. Making his way to the Waterfront district of the city, his mind wandered as it usually did when he didn't have anything important to do. Zorin hadn't found who his parents were yet, but that didn't really matter to him as much as it did when he was little. Sylvia was a good mother figure, despite her job. He frowned; maybe he didn't want to find out who his parents were, especially since they left a baby who could barely crawl to fend for itself on the streets.


	2. The Dark Messenger

Honor thy Mother Chapter 2

Upon entering the Waterfront district, Zorin turned his head to the right, and saw the_ Marie Elena_ that was moored near the end. Walking by it, he nodded to the Dunmer that was outside, who nodded in return. To say that she was unfriendly to strangers was an understatement, but after a little incident with the town guard, Zorin and her grew to be friends. Turning another corner, he saw the faint glimmer of torch light on the ground, and followed it to meet Armand, his contact for the Thieves Guild. Armand looked at Zorin expectantly, one eyebrow raised. Without a word, Zorin reached into his pouch and pulled out the ring he stole. He tossed it Armand, who caught it in midair, then looked at it in the torchlight. Satisfied, he put the ring in one of his pockets, and said "Good, this is his ring. You have done well, especially considering that he was expecting it to be stolen. Here is your reward." He handed Zorin a small sack with gold. "Also, for doing this job, you have been promoted in rank. Dar Jee will now act as your fence in Lleyawiin ." With that, Armand left, leaving Zorin alone in the night.

He opened the pouch, and was surprised to find that the gold inside was rather substantial, around a thousand or so. Somewhat confused, he put the money away and walked back home. He passed several guards, all of whom gave him their customary suspicious glare that they gave to anyone who was seen coming out of the Waterfront district. After what seemed like forever, he arrived at the house he shared with Sylvia, and he went inside. A quick look around told him that she had yet to arrive from the brothel which she worked at. With a sigh, he went down into the basement, which was turned into his bedroom, and fell onto the bed, feeling exhausted. After a moment, he reached behind his pillow and pulled out an ebony dagger that he was given by a man in black robes and hood. It was mainly black, with lines of gold etched into it. Zorin closed his eyes as he remembered the events that led to the man in black coming to him.

_Zorin ducked and launched a swift punch at the man he was fighting, catching him in his center. Before he could recover, Zorin grabbed his head, rammed his knee into his face, grinning somewhat cruelly as he heard a sickening crunch, then turned and slammed his head into the wall behind him, watching in grim satisfaction as a pool of red suddenly appeared and drew down as he slid from the wall. The man curled into a fetal ball, and started whimpering pathetically. Narrowing his eyes, Zorin looked around and found the man's great sword. He picked up the sword, somewhat stumbling under its weight, and swung it as best he could, catching the man in the chest, causing him to scream in pain, and cough out blood._

_Zorin turned to leave as the man continued to scream weakly as he lost more and more blood. Without a second thought, he left the warehouse he had requested the man to arrive at. He looked down at his hands, which were slightly stained with red, but that could be explained away. He walked home, silently wishing he had done more to that man for hurting Sylvia the way he did. Once he went inside, he heard the sounds of muffled crying, along with several soothing voices coming from upstairs. Concerned, Zorin climbed the staircase, and looked into Sylvia's room, and saw her sitting on her bed, head in her hands, with Christina and Mary, two of her friends and coworkers. Frowning sadly, he silently went back down the stairs into his basement, now even angrier then before._

_Once he reached his bed, he plopped down, and pulled his boots off. After taking off his fur armor, he put on his night clothes, and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. His sleep was dream free, thankfully. As he woke up, he felt a cold chill run through his spine, and felt another presence was in the room with him. He quickly shot up and looked around, his eyes resting on a figure garbed entirely in black. After a moment, the figure spoke, "You sleep rather soundly for a murderer. That's good. You will need a clear conscience for what I'm about to propose." Zorin remained silent, his hand sliding underneath his pillow slowly to grab the dagger he kept hidden._

"_You prefer silence, then? As do I my child, as do I. For is silence not the symphony of death, the orchestration of Sithis himself?" The man replied, his voice sending cold chills down Zorin's spine. "Ironic, then, that I come to you now as Speaker for the Dark Brotherhood." Zorin straightened at this in surprise. The Dark Brotherhood was here? Why? "My name is Lucian Lachance, and my voice is the will of the Night Mother. She's been watching you. Observing as you kill, admiring as you end life without pity or remorse. The Night Mother is most pleased… That is why I stand here before you. I bear an offering. An opportunity… to join our unique family." He had stopped there, waiting for Zorin to reply. After a moment's hesitation, he replied._

"_Please continue, Mr. Lachance." Zorin said slowly._

_Lucian smirked, and said, "Ah, I find your etiquette refreshing. On the Green Road to the north of Bravil, lies the Inn of Ill Omen. There you will find a man named Rufio. Kill him, and your initiation into the Dark Brotherhood shall be complete. Do this, and I shall return in a location I deem secure, and shall reveal myself to you, bearing the love of your new family." He paused again, waiting for a response._

"_But, I am no murder." Zorin replied._

"_The Night Mother disagrees. Now please, accept this token from the Dark Brotherhood, should you change your mind." With that, Lucian reached into the side of his robes, and withdrew a dagger. Handing it to Zorin he continued, "It is a virgin blade, and thirsts for blood. May it serve you well, as does your silence. Now, I bid you farewell. I do hope we'll meet again soon." With that, he lifted his hand, and disappeared._

All of this ran through Zorin's head, as he continued to lie on his bed, twirling the dagger in his ungloved hands. He had yet to assassinate this Rufio, as he had not decided if he should or not, despite what he said to Lucian. Without his bidding, his eyes drifted to his leather armor that lay discarded on the floor. He stayed there for a good while, then, with a resigned sigh, he pushed himself off the bed and quickly put on his armor. After looking around the room for his bow and quiver, he placed the dagger at his hip. He frowned, as the dagger felt oddly in place at his side like it was, but he shook the feeling off, and slowly crept upstairs. He paused and listened for any sounds in the house, but, finding none, he quickly went to his desk in the basement, and wrote a quick note to Sylvia, telling her that he was going to be gone for a few days to visit a friend.

Feeling rather guilty about lying to her, he grabbed the money he received from Armand, and fished out about half of the gold, and left it on the table next to his letter, and then he quickly left before his nerve failed him. He saw the sun rising beyond the high walls of the city as he made his way to the Waterfront District. Upon arriving, he ran to the small group of houses and the water beyond them. Pausing to catch his breath and relax as he grew more anxious with what he was about to do. Steeling himself, he walked down to the water, and raised his arm and watched as a white cloud fell onto him. Despite feeling the slight weakness he always felt when casting a spell, he did not feel any different.

Tentatively, he put his foot against the water and was delighted to find that it was as solid as the ground. He then ran onto the water, full of happiness now that he knew that the spell had finally worked for him. He learned it only a few days ago from a friend in the Arcane University, but every time he tried to use the spell, he always mixed it up with his water breathing spell. By doing this, he effectively cut his journey by half, and ran straight to the direction of Bravil. He renewed the spell every time he felt it begin to fade, but was happy nonetheless when he reached actual ground. Running on water was fun, but he still preferred it when he didn't have to keep raising his arms over and over again to keep it up.

He slowed down to a quick walk, eager to get to the inn before sundown, but had yet to think what he was to do once he reached it. He stopped once he felt a drop of water hit him, causing him to look to the sky. He frowned when he saw dark clouds covering the sky, and he quickly pulled his hood over his head, pushing onward to his goal. His hood was blood red and hid his face well, only showing anyone who looked a view of his lower half of his face, while his eyes remained unhindered. Continuing his trek, he heard his stomach growl, and pulled out a loaf of bread and an apple, but continued while eating them. Somehow, his journey was relatively uneventful, as he reached the inn a little in the afternoon, or so Zorin guessed. It was still raining throughout the day, and showed no signs of stopping. Pushing his way through the door, he was greeted by the smell of cheap alcohol, and spotted a man sitting in the corner, armed with a bow and a short sword.

Keeping a careful eye on the man, he approached the owner, who stood behind the counter. "Oh, hello. Not often we get visitors, what with the name and all. But don't let that discourage you from staying, please. Now how can I help you?" The owner said somewhat excitedly.

"I am looking for a man who I have heard is staying here. I believe his name is Rufio. Do you know anything in regards to him or where I can find him?" Zorin asked, keeping his voice low and emotionless, an art he mastered from his time with the Thieves guild.

"Rufio? Hmm the name sounds familiar, but I can't quite remember where I heard it before…." The owner said slowly, his meaning quite clear. With an irate look in his eyes, Zorin withdrew twenty-five gold coins and slid them across the counter.

"Does this jostle your memory at all?" Zorin replied slyly.

"Ah ha! Now I remember! That Rufio, he sleeps all day in his room, and never leaves. But I seem to forget which room though. Quite concerning." The owner said brightly, pocketing the gold coins in front of him.

_The man is as greedy as he is dumb._ Zorin thought. "I believe I shall stay for the night here. I certainly don't want to return to that downpour." He said, gesturing to the door.

"Ah well, I think you will find my prices quite agreeable, as a room costs ten gold a night." The owner replied. With that Zorin pulled out ten gold and tossed them to the owner. The owner handed him a key and directed him to his room on the top floor. Nodding, and thanking the owner, he retired to his room, and fell onto the bed. His eyes were glued to the ceiling as he tried to figure out where Rufio might be hiding. When he came upstairs, he only saw three doors, which he guess lead to the other rooms. Not trusting the greedy owner, he sat up in the bed, closed his eyes, and cast a quick spell. He opened his eyes, and looked around. Below him, he saw two purple hazes, the owner and the other man. He looked in the direction of the other rooms, but found nothing. With a frustrated sigh he smacked his head, lay back down, and turned over, feeling the spell fade. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted another faint haze, but not as well defined as the others, indicating that the person was on a lower level. Feeling hope blossom within his chest, he closed his eyes as the spell ended, and fell into a deep sleep.


	3. First Blood

Honor thy Mother Chapter 3

**It just occurred to me that I should include a physical description of Zorin. Black hair, around 5'7", somewhat muscled due to his thieves guild jobs, thin, has dark blue eyes.**

_He stood in the center of a town, surrounded by ramshackle houses, with four other people, all garbed in black, standing in a circle with a statue in the center. The figure closest to him raised its arms, and started chanting, her words to quiet for him to overhear. He felt odd, as though he was getting close to something special, something that not even the Nine Divines could rival. His eyes snapped back to the statue as an entrance opened in front of it, sending out the smell of death. As he stepped to the portal, he shuddered._

Zorin's eyes flew open as he shot up in the bed. He sat on the bed, his hair falling into his eyes as he hung his head, trying to get forget the disturbing dream. The figures were wearing some kind of black robes that seemed really familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he saw them before. After a moment or two, he realized that he fell asleep with his equipment on him, and he groaned. He was going to have a bit of explaining to do when he got back, more then he anticipated. Figuring that he couldn't put it off any longer, he left the room, and walked downstairs only to find that it was empty. Frowning, he cast the same spell as before, and looked around, spotting two purple hazes upstairs, as well as the one below that he had spotted earlier.

With a look akin to that of a cat that had just caught a mouse, he looked around, and, spotting a trap door underneath the stairwell, he went into the basement. Once there, he spotted two doors. He tried the closest one, which was locked. He checked to see how hard it would be, but didn't even bother with trying to pick it. He tried the other door, this one also locked, but not as heavily. A smirk curving its way onto his lips, he thrust his hand outward to the door, and let loose a small white cloud. Once it connected with the lock, he heard a click, and he pushed the door open slowly.

He immediately spotted a man on the room's only bed, his back to the door. Silently pulling the Blade of Woe out of the sheath at his side, he crept towards the bed, now eager to feed the blade, to prove that he could kill without remorse, that he could kill as a Dark Brotherhood member truly would. At the man's bed, he moved the dagger over the man's heart, and placed his hand over the man's mouth, which startled him awake. Rufio tried to move away, but Zorin pushed his back against the bed, his hood drawn now. He raised the dagger over his heart and grimly said, "The Night Mother says hello." then plunged the dagger into his flesh, causing a small fountain of blood to erupt, staining the blade as well as his glove. Rufio jerked spasmodically, but the hand still remained until finally, he grew still, and his eyes lost their panicked glow.

Slowly, he pulled the Blade of Woe out of the dead man, but made no move to clean the blade. Instead, he placed it on the bed as Zorin searched the dead man's body. He was disappointed, as he did not find much, only a key and some gold, which he took for himself. Pondering the meaning of the key, he picked up the dagger, and walked out of the room. He closed and was about to lock the door behind him, when a thought crossed his mind. Deciding to go through with it, he left the door unlocked, went upstairs to the other two sleeping people. Both doors were locked, so he picked open the closest one. Inside was the man who had the bow and arrows. Spotting his weapons to the side, he grabbed them and searched the man for anything useful. He only found a key, most likely to his room, as well as a good amount of gold, along with a few potions, which he also swiped.

Leaving the room with his stolen goods, which he left beside the door on the first floor, he took out two pieces of paper, and wrote down a quick note on both of them, and left one on the desk in place of the sword the man had. Locking the door behind him, he moved to the other door at the end, which he unlocked with the same spell he used on the door in the basement. He moved inside, and did the same as before, a smug grin on his face as he regained the gold he used to bribe the owner earlier. Spotting a war hammer, he grabbed it and dragged it quietly outside the room, leaving it against the wall. He made a small adjustment to the letter, and left it on the dresser. He locked this door as well, and went downstairs. Once there, he pilfered any food he found that he could carry, and some wine bottles.

He grabbed the stolen items he took from the mysterious man, and he went outside. He dropped the bow, the quiver, the sword, and the armor from the man, leaving them leaning against a nearby tree that was a reasonable distance away from the inn. Going back inside, he cast a quick glance at the sky, squinting as the rain continued to fall, although more lightly then before, however lightning still flashed occasionally. Once inside, he hurriedly moved barrels, tables and chairs so as to make it so that getting to the exit more difficult. Once the last barrel was placed and emptied, he heard shuffling from upstairs, and he hurried out. After closing and locking the door to the inn, he backed away a few feet, outstretched his hand, and launched a quick lighting spell at the roof of the inn.

**Second chapter; sorry if it isn't what you all expected, but Zorin will have moments when he becomes another type of person, and no he doesn't have multiple personality, it has to do with his heritage. Not sure when I will next update, but hopefully will be soon. Please remember to keep flaming to constructive criticism only.**


	4. Lost hound

Honor thy Mother Chapter 4

The adventurer stretched, and rose from his bed, reaching for his trusty bow while he rubbed sleep from his eyes. He looked down when his hand met nothing but empty air, and was startled to see that not only had his bow and arrow been taken, but his armor and sword as well. He spotted a piece of paper on the desk in his room. He picked it up and read the contents:

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_I have decided to liberate you of your belongings for a little test I have set up. If you survive this little ordeal, you shall have your equipment returned to you. If you do not, then I am afraid I shall gain a little profit from them. Farewell, I hope you enjoy the afterlife, should you be allowed it._

The adventurer frowned, what did the letter mean by 'ordeal'? Shrugging, he went to the door, and looked for his key. Realizing that his key had also been stolen from him, he started to panic, and he pounded on the door, shouting, "Manheim! Wake up! The door has been locked and I cannot leave! Manheim!"

Manheim was having a peaceful dream when incessant pounding and shouting of his name woke him up. He rose from the bed, and shouted "By the Nine! What is it, Feralin? Can't a man get a wink of sleep around here?"

"Dammit Manheim, I have been robbed! And I think you have too!" Feralin responded angrily.

"That's ridiculous, let me get my things then I will come get you." Manheim said calmly, only to find that his things were also missing. He spotted a letter on his dresser, which he picked up to read.

_To the owner of the Inn of Ill Omen:_

_As you may have already noticed, your belongings have been taken, your key included. However, I am willing to give you a sporting chance, and have left your war hammer outside of your room. Now the question is, can you break down your door before you are killed? We shall see._

Manheim held the letter, a look of puzzlement on his face. He yelled back to Feralin, "My hammer is in the hallway apparently. I can try to get out to grab it and come get you, but be prepared to pay extra for your stay."

"Extra? Manheim, I have no gold, and I am certain neither do you!" Feralin yelled back angrily. Before Manheim could retaliate, he heard the sound of lightning, and the roof suddenly caught on fire. Panicking, he slammed into the door with his full body weight, but to no avail. The building was slowly catching fire, leaving Manheim and Feralin in their rooms to be burned alive.

Zorin picked up his stolen goods, and turned to leave as the fire spread across the whole building. He wasn't about to leave any trail of his murder in the name of the Dark Brotherhood. Continuing south towards Bravil, he again encountered no one, which he was grateful for, and made it to the town without incident. After passing through the gate, he looked around for a decent place to sell his unwanted gear. Going to the center of town, he spotted a statue, and froze at the sight of it. It was the same statue that was in his dream. He approached it tentatively, looking over it with a critical eye. He wasn't big on detail before becoming a thief, but he quickly learned the art of looking things over to find the slightest flaw or anything to indicate something was hidden. After looking around, he gave up, having found nothing. With a resigned sigh, he trudged off, casting one last look behind him, unnerved that the statue seemed familiar somehow. With a shrug, he moved off to find S'Kriva, a Khajiit that handled jobs and hot property in the Thieves Guild for the Bravil area.

Upon reaching the house, he knocked on the door a specific number of times, in different rhythms each couple of hits on the wood. After a moment or two, the door opened a crack, and he could see a pair of cat-like eyes watching me. I looked around quickly, and, upon spotting no guards, he spoke quietly, "A follower of the Gray Fox wishes to speak to another." Wordlessly, S'Kriva opened the door, and Zorin slipped in. S'Kriva turned to Zorin, and he produced the items he had stolen from the adventurer, but did not explain where he got them. The Khajiit thief looked at each of the items in turn, examining each of them with a practiced eye. Zorin remained silent, not trusting that if he spoke, that S'Kriva would bring up Arianna and his rejection.

After a while, S'Kriva told him what she was willing to pay for the items, and he agreed, and walked out with around fifty gold. Just as he was about to close the door, he felt S'Kriva grip his shoulder. He half turned to face her, and she said, "Arianna has pined for you. She now lives in Cheydinhal, and wishes that you visit her." S'Kriva's eyes gave a meaningful glare at the boy who had hurt her closest friend. Zorin simply nodded, and left when the hand was removed from his shoulder.

Looking up to the sky, he realized that he still had time to kill before he had to return home. Deciding that he didn't want to deal with anything later, he left the city, and started his trek to the Imperial City. At noon, he was about half way there, when he suddenly heard a growl. He stopped and looked around carefully, wary of wild animals that attacked travelers. He had heard many a tale about someone who wasn't careful being killed by wolves or trolls. He heard leaves rustling to his right, and as he was taking out the Blade of Woe, a wolf came stalking out of the bushes. Zorin stopped when he saw the wolf and the state it was in. The wolf looked as though it hadn't eaten in a while, it had a hungry look in its eyes, and its ribs were showing.

Slowly replacing the Blade of Woe, he instead reached into his pack, and pulled out a large hunk of boar meat that he took from the Inn of Ill Omen. He held it out to the wolf, smiling gently. The wolf stopped and sniffed the air, caught off guard by this strange behavior of the pup. He had an unnatural smell about him, which made the wolf even more nervous about approaching him, but he did not make any threatening movements as he offered the meat. Slowly, the wolf approached the human pup, sniffing the air, ready to strike if he tried to attack. Once the wolf was close enough, Zorin lay the meat down on the path, and waited until the wolf had started eating it ravenously. Zorin placed a hand on the wolf's neck, and started to stroke it, much to the wolf's surprise.

He pulled out another piece of meat, and placed it next to the other piece for the wolf, and pulled out a loaf of bread, suddenly realizing that he hadn't eaten since yesterday. Sitting next to the wolf, he quietly ate his food, placing meat down in front of the wolf when it finished one piece. Once they were finished eating, Zorin got up and started to leave, but was surprised to find that the wolf was following him as though it was a pet dog. Smiling slightly, he placed a hand on the wolf's head and stroked it gently; the two of them walking down the path. Once they reached the long bridge that lead to the city, he expected the wolf to leave, but was surprised that it stood right next to him. With a shrug, he quickly ran down the bridge, the wolf easily keeping pace with him. Once they reached the end of the bridge, the sun had started to set, casting long shadows across the ground.

The guards saw him approaching, and immediately drew their weapons when they saw the wolf. The wolf growled and raised its hackles, but Zorin placed a hand on it, calming it considerably. "Wait, please don't attack. I met this wolf while traveling from Bravil; however it seems to have taken to me after I helped it. I am simply returning home from a small trip, and must get home to my mother. I left her a note saying where I was going, but I know she is dreadfully worried about me." Zorin said, surprised at how easily the half lie came. The guards looked at each other and started murmuring, trying to figure out if they should believe the remarkable young boy who so easily tamed a wild animal. Finally, after a moment of arguing, the guards faced the Zorin.

"Where do you live?" One of the guards asked.

"Temple District sir. I live near the guard tower closest to the palace there, with my adoptive mother." Zorin said firmly.

"Adoptive? You don't live with your real parents?" The other guard inquired, an eyebrow raised.

"Correct, she found me when I was only able to crawl, or so I have been told. I have no memory of who my parents are. Quite frankly, I don't care to either." Zorin retorted rather testily.

"Alright. Kiros, I am going to take the kid to his home, I don't think that other people will take kindly to a wolf in the city unless a guard is there to diffuse a situation before it starts."

"Go ahead Ward. I'll cover for you until our relieve gets here."

"Thanks, I guess I owe you one. I'll buy you a round or two at the bar tonight. Ok kid, let's go."

With that, Zorin entered the city with his new friend calmly walking beside him and the guard known as Ward a step or two behind them. Fortunately, few people were out this late, and they made it to Zorin's house without incident. Once there, the guard bide them goodbye, and left without a word. Shrugging, Zorin entered the house, and looked at where he had left the note and gold. The gold had been moved, but none had been taken from what he could see, but the letter had been removed. Shrugging, he went down to the basement, removed his traveling gear, opened up a food barrel that he kept in his room, and pulled out some more meat and other food stuffs. Sitting on his bed, he gave the meat to the wolf, and ate the rest of the food. He looked at the wolf, and thought of what to do with it.

He had thought of taking it to Caelindil, a wood elf that owned a magic store, if he could understand the wolf and why it kept following him, but beyond that he didn't have any idea what to do. He wanted to keep it if it wanted to stay, but he didn't know if Sylvia will agree to that. Zorin sighed, stood up, grabbed the Blade of Woe, spotting it still had some red glisten on it, and he placed it on the night stand next to his bed. He didn't know why but he wanted to remember that he had killed someone when he didn't need too. Zorin lie his head on his pillow and closed his eyes, deciding that he could wait and catch some rest until Sylvia got home from work. He fell into sleep as a heavy rock would when dropped into a deep lake.

**Shiny gold piece for whoever can name which game the two guards are from. And no looking them up either, although I wont know if you did. As with this story, I do not own the names or characters those guards are based off of. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. Cold welcome

Honor thy Mother Chapter 5

_He was in a dark void, surrounded by ethereal cries and wails of pain. Suddenly, he was in front of a figure in red robes, its head bandaged and its hands skeletal. It was surrounded by black spikes forming a loose cage. He looked down at himself, and was surprised to see the same attire on himself. He looked around, and found a hooded figure in black armor kneeling in front of him at the base of a set of stairs. The room was lit with fires that flared blood red, casting the light across the room, shadows dancing along the wall. Zorin walked down to the figure, and realized that the person was trembling in fear. Without remorse, he reached down and grabbed the figure by the neck roughly, and pulled the person up._

_He ripped the hood off, and saw a girl, a Breton, and saw the evident fear in her eyes. He brought her closer, and growled, "You have dishonored my family. You were sent to kill one simple unaware person, and you not only failed to kill the person you were sent after, but also alerted both them and their protection of someone wanting their death."_

_"B-but, Listener, I can ex-" The woman started to say._

_"Silence! I do not want to hear any excuses! You failed the Dark Brotherhood, the Night Mother, and Sithis, our Dread Father! I personally recommended you for this task, and thus, you have failed me!" He roared back._

_"If I had known you wanted me to take the task, then I would have tried harder to complete the contract." She replied, her voice shaking._

_"You should have tried your hardest no matter who wanted you to take the contract!" He growled loudly. He pulled out a dagger from his side, and threw the girl into the cage with the statue. "I had thought you were worthy of becoming my Silencer. I had hoped you would succeed in each task appointed to you and you would become one of the Speakers. Now I realize that it was a mistake to bring you into the family." He said quietly as he raised the dagger to stab the girl. Just before the dagger entered her, he looked at her face and opened his mouth to say something, but he suddenly woke up._

Zorin shot up in bed in a cold sweat, his heart pounding at the dream. He saw the wolf curled up against his leg comfortably, and felt a cold chill enter the room yet again. He looked around, his eyes resting on a figure dressed in black. "Lucian Lachance." He muttered, bowing his head respectfully.

Lucian nodded, and approached silently. At the bed, he whispered, "So the deed is done. How do I know this? You will find that the Dark Brotherhood knows a great many things. For you are now part of the family. Now heed these words. The slaying of Rufio was the signing of a covenant. The manner of execution, your signature. Rufio's blood, the ink. As a Speaker of the Black Hand, I oversee a particular group of family members. You will join that group and fulfill any contracts given. You must now go to the city of Cheydinhal, to the abandoned house near the eastern wall. Enter the basement and attempt to open the black door. You will be asked a question. Answer thusly: 'Sanguine, my Brother.' You will gain access to the Sanctuary. Once inside, speak with Ocheeva. We must now take our leave of each other, you and I, for there is much work to be done. I'll be following… your progress. Welcome to the family." As before, he cast the spell and turned invisible as a green mist enveloped him briefly. Zorin sat in his bed, his eyes drawn to the Blade of Woe as though it was calling him, begging him to plunge it into another beating heart.

He picked up the Blade, his face thoughtful. Ever since Lucian first came to him, a new part of him had awakened. Now he felt as though that he was born to kill in the name of the Dark Brotherhood, to kill without remorse or pity for his target. He jumped slightly as he heard the door to the house open and close hurriedly, and quickly hid his new dagger underneath his pillow, causing his new friend to stir and stare at him in confusion as to his haste. Just as he laid a hand on the wolf to calm it, his door slammed open and Sylvia rushed in, a worried look on her face. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on the child she raised as her own and she grabbed him up in a hug, squeezing him tightly, causing his eyes to bug slightly.

"Sylvia…..can't…..breathe." Zorin wheezed as her hold started to cut off his air supply. Sylvia started, and loosened her hold on him.

"Don't you ever do that again, do you hear me Zorin Lythenon?" Sylvia demanded her face stern. Zorin frowned inwardly; she never used his adoptive last name, as he didn't have one of his own. "I was so worried when you left. I don't know what I would have done if you had died." Her eyes finally spotted the wolf. "What is that doing in here?" She asked, frowning.

"It's a wolf I met coming back from Bravil. It looked hungry, so I fed it on impulse, and it didn't attack. It followed me the rest of the way. The guards let it in with me as long as it didn't cause any trouble, but I hadn't thought about what to do with it." Zorin replied, moving from Sylvia's grasp and sat on his bed next to the wolf, and started scratching it behind the ears. The wolf closed its eyes and pressed its head into his hand, its tail flicking gently.

"Well, as long as it stays under control, I suppose it won't hurt to keep it around. Did you two already eat?" Sylvia asked, approaching the wolf.

"Yeah, before we fell asleep." Zorin answered, grinning inwardly. It was just like Sylvia to act stern and motherly on moment, and then completely drop the act and be her tender loving self to him. He watched as the wolf butted its head against Sylvia's hand as she got closer, causing her to give out a little giggle, and started petting gently. Zorin felt the grin creep onto his face slowly, thinking that it might actually be nice to have another presence in the house.

**Yeah, this chapter sucked I know. But, Zorin had another one of those crazy dreams. What could it mean? I know, but I won't tell you…yet. As always, read, review, not sure when my next update will be so hold on to your sanity if you can manage.**


	6. Chapter 6

Honor thy Mother

Chapter 6

**AH! I am sorry I haven't updated sooner, I have been putting this off because of writers block, but also because I haven't had any motivation to write recently. I don't know why…anyway here is chapter six, sorry if the fact that it doesnt have a proper title annoy, irritate, or otherwise cause negative feelings.  
**

Zorin leaned against a tree, resting in shade with the wolf next to him. It had been several days since Lucian Lachance last came to him, but he had yet been to Cheydinhal as he had not come up with a valid excuse to explain his absence. He didn't know why he was so eager to join the Dark Brotherhood, maybe him not really having a family to call his own was a part of it. Zorin frowned slightly, as him leaving would also mean Okami, the wolf, would also be leaving with him. He didn't want Sylvia to be alone if he was able to leave, especial since she took a liking to Okami, as Sylvia was the one who named her. After they went to Caelindil to talk to the wolf, they found out it was a girl, and Sylvia named her after the Akaviri word for wolf. Since then, they had agreed to keep her as long as she wanted to stay, which Zorin was incredibly happy about, as he got bored often when he was at home alone.

He leaned his head back against the tree, closing his eyes as a gentle breeze blew through the Waterfront District. Zorin remained like that for several minutes, absentmindedly scratching behind Okami's ears, his hair being tugged by the wind as it gently blew past him. He heard a small giggle, followed by footsteps coming toward him, causing him to open one eye to see who it was. Zorin was only mildly surprised to see his mage friend, Senna, dressed in her apprentice mage robes, coming from the direction of the lighthouse, so Zorin assumed that she had just come to the Waterfront district. He got up, albeit reluctantly, leaving a very annoyed Okami, who had been asleep, to blearily rise from her position as well, only to sit back down and start licking her fur.

"Hey Senna." Zorin greeted cheerfully, a small smile on his face, one that quickly dissipated when he noticed his High Elf friend's eyes were troubled. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, its nothing Z…..I just wanted to see if you were interested in coming to Cheydinhal with me. I need to go there for an assignment from the Archmage, and I was told I might want an escort." Senna replied, shyly looking at Zorin, waiting for his answer.

"Sure, I think that would be fine. I just need to go ask Sylvia and grab some things, then we can head out. Is it ok if Okami comes to? I don't like leaving her home alone." Zorin replied, relieved that his problem of getting to Cheydinhal was resolved, although he did marvel at the convenience of her offering this. On his way to his home, his mind kept him too busy to survey his surroundings, and did not notice a group of people wearing black armor, watching him from the shadows.

"Do you really think that boy is his son?" One said, turning to face another of her companions.

"We can't be certain until he comes to us. Lucian had extended the invitation, but he must make the choice to come to us." The other growled, his tail flicking occasionally.

"But if that boy is him then…." The first one was cut off

"Be quiet, both of you! We will continue to keep an eye on him, but he is coming to Cheydinhal, and for that we must thank the Night Mother that the girl has agreed to deceive him. For now, though, you all return to the Sanctuary and inform Ocheeva of the boy's arrival. I shall remain to monitor his actions." Another woman ordered, coming up in front of the small band, her hood drawn back, revealing a mane of ginger hair as well as cat ears hidden among it.

"Yes, Silencer." The others replied, and departed, leaving the obvious leader of the group behind as she moved off in the opposite direction, following her prey, pulling her hood back up. She did not know whether or not to believe the old story, but she did sense something different about him. It was in his smell and aura. Her tail puffed up slightly as a gust of wind blew his scent towards her direction; he smelled as a natural human should, yes, however there was another smell that was hidden underneath it, something that reminded her of the Nine Divines, but also of the daedric princes. As she followed this mysterious boy, she swore that when he joined, and he would, that she would personally dig into his past.

**If someone guesses who, or what, Zorin really is, they get a digital cookie. Alexxknightingale is excluded from this as I actually know her and bounce ideas off of her occasionally, so she already knows, and no asking her for the answer. If you think you do, then send me a private message and I might respond. Depends if I can break away from Mass Effect and Skyrim long enough. And if any reader is worried about when I will next update (which is doubtful anyone is) I am not sure, I have several ideas for what's going to happen next but that's being mixed up with my ideas for a Tales of Symphonia fanfic. Aaaaaand now I am rambling, so I will end this here for now.**

**Wingsofhermes**


	7. Welcome dear Brother

Honor thy Mother

Chapter 7: Welcome dear Brother

**JESUS! I AM SO SORRY! I SWEAR IT ON MY HONOR OF SITHIS AND THE NIGHT MOTHER! PLEASE DON'T KILL, MAIM, OR OTHERWISE HARM ME IN ANYWAY!**

***deep breath* ok that's out of the way, anyway, I do apologize for my lateness, I meant to post sooner, but it was summer, then first day of school bullshit, and then my sisters demanding my attention (literally), followed by school stuff. I can finally sit down and type this on my crappy computer. It has vista *shudder* anyway, yes I will try to post sooner then I have been lately, but I make no promises. Also, if you want to, look me up on Facebook, under the name Zorin Lythenon (see what I did there?) Also, I am putting in a race that is not in any Elder Scrolls, but their numbers are few and far between. I will let you figure it out until the next chapter, there will be only one in this story.**

**_Warning: _Blood, swearing, you know the drill by now**

**_Disclaimer:_ I still don't own Bethesda, Elder Scrolls, Oblivion, or Skyrim or this new race. All I can do is praise the creators, because there is no way in hell I could come up with someone as cool as Aela.**

Zorin looked up at the gates of Cheydinhal as he and Senna approached it, Okami running in and out of the forests, chasing after something or sniffing the trees, which she seemed prone to do. The guards were stunned by the presence of a wolf, but after seeing how docile she was; reluctantly let the trio in, with warnings of keeping "the beast" in check.

Once inside, he expected Senna to drag him to the mages guild hall in the town, and was surprised to find that she instead grabbed his hand and dragged him to an apparently abandoned house that was boarded up, blushing all the while. Stopping outside the door, she turned to Zorin, "I need to do something, keep an eye out for anyone looking in this direction, please." Zorin nodded and turned back to face the road, looking around for any sign of observers, Okami circling the property, while hearing Senna rustling around her pouch, cursing slightly under her breath, to quietly for him to hear.

Suddenly she quietly exclaimed, "Found it! Zorin, come on, before anyone see's us." and pulled out a key that she used to unlock the door, and once again dragged Zorin inside quickly, Okami following. She locked the door behind them, and once again took his hand to drag him into the basement, and past a crumbled section of the wall, Zorin protesting quietly as he didn't know what she was doing. After going down a small tunnel, Zorin spotted a crimson light on the floor ahead of them, but because of the incline they were on, he couldn't see the source, and pulled back on his hand, stopping Senna, Okami pausing behind them.

"Where the hell are we going Senna?!" Zorin demanded, slightly angry that she wasn't completely honest with why there were in Cheydinhal. "You said you were here because you're Arch-mage sent you here on an assignment, so what the hell are we doing in this wrecked house?!"

"Calm down Zorin. I can't tell you everything right now, someone else wants to do that first. All I can really say is that, you can finally have a proper family, in a sense. Just please, trust me." Senna replied, pleading the last part. Zorin looked at Senna's eyes, and immediately regretted it. When Senna wanted someone to do something, she would put on her innocent-puppy-dog-on-the-verge-of-crying face, which immediately broke him. With a resigned sigh, he nodded, and followed Senna down the remainder of the tunnel, Okami trailing behind him.

At the end of the tunnel stood a large red and black tablet pressed up against the wall, with murals of death and a large skull imprinted on the top. Senna motioned for him to go up to it, and once he finally got over his nervousness; he did, and immediately paused when a deep, deadra-like voice echoed in his head. "What is the color of night?" It hissed. Stumped for a moment, he looked at the door in confusion, and then suddenly remembered the words of Lucian Lachance when he last visited.

"Sanguine, my Brother." Zorin replied in a cautious voice, wary of what would happen next. Senna walked forward and pushed against the door, opening it, motioning for him to follow. As Zorin walked over the threshold, the voice echoed in his head, "Welcome, Brother." Senna smiled, and closed her eyes for a moment after the door closed, and then a black cloud of mist covered her, as though she was casting a spell. After the mist fell away, she was wearing black, banded armor and matching hood in place of her traditional journeymen robes. She walked forward and greeted an Argonian, who was also wearing the same type of armor. "I have brought him as you requested, Ocheeva." Senna said, bowing in respect.

"Thank you, dear Sister." As Zorin approached her, Okami silently following, seemingly undisturbed by the events that just transpired, she spoke up again. "Ah, you must be the one Lucian mentioned. I am Ocheeva; I am in charge of this sanctuary, and any family members who dwell within it. Although I have been told of you, I have not been given a name." Ocheeva paused, seemingly waiting for him to respond.

"I am Zorin. I was told to speak to you by Lucian." Zorin replied, keeping an eye on his surroundings after seeing an armed skeleton walking behind the Argonian.

"Yes, you were. Lucian sends new members to me so that I may welcome them to the family." Zorin perked up slightly at the mention of a family, despite it being the Dark Brotherhood. "I know that you were upset at Senna's dishonesty with you, however, do not be angered at her, for it was necessary, as there is an Imperial Captain who has been trying to catch us ever since he first learned of our presence in Cyrodil. Now, on to more pleasant matters. You have come, as was asked of you by Lucian, and now, I give you this armor. It is lighter then leather, as black as the Void, and already enchanted by our dear Father, Sithis." With that, Ocheeva handed him a set of armor from her side pouch. When he took it into his hands, he realized that what she said was, in fact true, and its weight surprised him, especially with how durable it felt. Suddenly, the armor dissipated into a cloud of black mist, which then swarmed around Zorin, completely covering him. As the mist dissipated, he felt the armor mold over his original clothing, and was pleasantly surprised with how well it fit his form. Looking down to admire the armor as Okami came up and sniffed it suspiciously, Ocheeva looked at him in appreciation, as Senna blushed and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the underground shelter. As Zorin continued looking over himself, Ocheeva walked away, speaking over her shoulder, "Go see Vicente Valtieri, he will give you your contracts. Your teacher should be with him as well." Zorin looked up, but was stunned to see that she simply disappeared in the blackness. Okami growled slightly as the skeleton walked by them and stood watching the door, causing Zorin to place a hand on the wolf, calming her considerably, and the two walked off into the darkness to find this Vicente person.

After exploring the top floor, and Zorin getting his head almost bitten off by an unfriendly Kahjiit, although unfriendly was a bit of an understatement, and meeting the other members of the Dark Brotherhood, Zorin and Okami were led downstairs by an enthusiastic woman named Antoinetta Marie, who talked animatedly about the family, and made a point of saying that she was quite happy to have a new face around. Needless to say, Zorin was slightly drained simply by talking to the woman, and was relieved to find out that Vicente was in a room they had reached at the base of the stairs. Waving happily, Marie left, leaving a now satisfied Okami and a nervous Zorin outside the door.

Swallowing his nerves, Zorin pushed the door open, and spotted two figures to the left, the one whose back was facing them revealing a cat-like tail waving in the air. As Okami went in, she immediately jumped and growled at one of the figures, who turned to regard the wolf and teenage boy. The man, whom Zorin assumed to be Vicente Valtieri, smiled warmly at him as he approached, Okami now refusing to approach either of the two people. "Ah, you must be the new child I was told about. Welcome. Please do not let my appearance…unnerve you. The Tenets come before my own needs as a vampire." Zorin couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise at this, noticing his pale red eyes and fangs hidden in his mouth, "And this is my own dear student, Miss Alexx Knightingale. My dear, I think you should show your apprentice your face, if you would be so kind."

"Yes Vicente." The woman replied, her voice an odd mix of human and Kahjiit accents. Zorin turned to face her as she pulled back her hood, revealing a human face, forest green eyes, ginger hair falling down past her shoulders, and on top was….. "WHAT IN THE NINE DIVINES?!" Zorin exclaimed loudly, stumbling backwards.

**Aaaaaaaand CUT! That's a wrap people. Take five….weeks most likely….. Anyway I know it's a stupid place to leave a cliff hanger but I haven't really prepared Zorin's first mission, which takes place immediately after this meeting, of course. Also, I will be taking few creative liberties with the Dark Brotherhood missions, you know, putting my own spin on things, creating my own missions. Also there will be some humor in later chapters, but I won't give any details. Anyway, until next chapter my dear readers.**

**WingsofHermes**


	8. The Mentor

Honor thy Mother

The Mentor

**Hello once again, to another spectacular chapter of my rather mediocre story. I personally feel like I am not doing Oblivion justice, but I will leave that up to you all.**

**_Warnings_: Wait do I really need to do this? Seriously, just read the damn rating, its M for a reason people.\**

**_Disclaimer_: Again, do I really need to go over this? How about this, if I ever own Bethesda and gained a portion of its profits from any money it makes from its games, I'll let you know, in fact I'll hold a party.**

"WHAT IN THE NINE DIVINES?!" Zorin exclaimed loudly, stumbling backwards. He pointed at the woman, Alexx, or more specifically, the top of her head, where her ginger colored cat like ears twitched in annoyance at the loud noise.

"It's rude to point kid. Remember that and I might not bite you." Alexx quipped, grinning slightly as she looked at the raven-haired teen pressed up against the wall. Slowly, Zorin let his arm drip down to his side again, shock still evident in his features. Alexx walked up to him and placed a hand on his head, rubbing it roughly. "Listen, I am not some kind of Daedra, I am called a Nekojin. Remember that, or I'll drill it into your head."

Zorin nodded dumbly, practically lost in her green eyes that retained their human looks, but still held a feral quality to them. It was at this time the room's occupants, excluding Vicente, who had been watching with an amused smile on his face, noticed Okami growling to a louder level then before. Zorin and Alexx looked down to see the wolf baring her fangs, pressed against Zorin's leg, hackles raised and fur bristling at the strange cat smelling woman who dared lay a hand on her owner. Alexx chuckled and backed away slowly, saying "That's one loyal pup you got there Zorin. Keep her on a tight leash and our missions will go just fine."

"Speaking of missions, I do hope the two of you are ready for your assignment." Vicente spoke up. Alexx turned to the vampire and shrugged, then replaced her hood. "Good, I have been given a contract to kill an Orc and a Nord in the Imperial City, which I believe a good starting point to see what you are capable of, Zorin, while learning from our dear Knightingale." The two nodded, Okami calming down some, and turned to leave when Vicente stopped them again. "Oh, a few more things. For your bonus, no one must die except the two that have been designated, who merely have aliases, the Orc is called Greck, the other named Cairn, and no one must see you killing them. The second thing, Zorin, is for you in particular. If this assignment carries over for the next week, I would have another place to hide away from Alexx. And finally, your wolf must stay here with us, do not worry for her health, she will be well cared for in your absence." With that, Vicente motioned for Okami to come to him, who obeyed, albeit reluctantly, and the teacher and student set off to find their victims, Zorin somewhat mystified as to why Vicente warned him to hid from Alexx if this continued into the next week.

After the two left the Sanctuary behind, they were about to leave to the Western gate of Cheydinhal to leave for the Imperial City, and were met by a young woman, perhaps slightly younger then Zorin by a year, who stood in front of them with her arms crossed. _Damn it, its Arianna_ Zorin cursed in his head, suddenly remembering S'Kriva's words about the Wood Elf.

"Hello, Zorin. I didn't know you where in Cheydinhal." Arianna said curtly, looking solely at the boy who she had practically stalked during their time together.

"I was only helping Senna run errands for the Mages Guild here, nothing more." Zorin lied, wanting the conversation to be over with as soon as possible.

"Hey, do you know this girl Zorin?" Alexx inquired.

Arianna seemed to flare up in anger as she looked at Alexx as though seeing her for the first time, which was probably true. "And just what the hell are you doing with Zorin you tramp?" She asked angrily, glaring at the other woman. Zorin's eyes widened in panic as Alexx's narrowed in anger, and jumped in before the Nekojin could kill the other girl.

"She is another member of the Mages Guild; we are both heading back to the Imperial City so she can report to the Arch-Mage on a secret project." Zorin hastily replied.

"Hmph, don't get any ideas with Zorin, got it? He is mine." With that, Arianna stalked off angrily. Zorin let out a quick sigh of relief, and then looked over at Alexx to see a playful glint sparking in her eye.

"You got some charm kid; I think I need to stay on my toes to make sure I don't fall for you myself." She remarked, laughing gently, earning a maddening blush from Zorin. Alexx laughed even more loudly and walked off to the gate, leaving Zorin to catch up to her. It took about a day to reach the Imperial City, using the running across the water trick Zorin used to get to Rufio. They were relatively silent throughout the trip, only stopping occasionally to watch their surroundings if alerted, but nothing of note occurred. As they snuck into the Waterfront district, Alexx made the abrupt decision to upgrade their equipment, and practically dragged Zorin to the Market District. Needless to say, they were quiet the spectacle, what with a Nekojin, a race rarely seen outside of Elyswhere, and a boy being dragged rather comically down the streets.

Finally, Zorin managed to get on his feet and shook off Alexx's grip, receiving a playful smirk in return, to which Zorin scowled at, and walked to the Fighters Chance blade weapon store. Opening the door, he curtly nodded to the store owner, Rohssan, and proceeded to browse through the weapons she had on sale that day, making small conversation with her. After a little debating between the two, Alexx bought an ebony shortsword, a larger version of Zorin's Blade of Woe, which he had decided to keep hidden inside his boot, an Ebony Bow, and a quiver of elven arrows. Zorin, on the other hand, quickly gravitated towards Rohssan's selection of Daedric weapons, and picked out a longsword, a bow and several quivers of matching arrows.

After they left the store, Alexx turned to Zorin, "So any idea where we are going to stay while we are on this contract? I, for one, don't fancy the idea of staying at an inn." Zorin nodded in agreement, and mentally crossed out his own home immediately. He spent several minutes thinking, and then suddenly remembered a house he had stolen from before. Telling Alexx to follow him, he ran off to find it, remembering the way quite easily. Once they arrived, Zorin tried the door, and was surprised that the lock from before was still there. Shrugging, he pulled out the key and opened it, then closed it again once Alexx came in, locking it again. Suddenly, he felt Alexx freeze up slightly as she sniffed the air hesitantly.

"Something wrong?" Zorin inquired.

"This stench…I have smelled it before." Alexx replied, her eyes narrowing.

"I don't smell anything out of place…" Zorin remarked, sniffing the air as well.

"I would expect as much, you're human. Breath deeply." Alexx instructed. Zorin complied, and immediately gagged.

"Ugh, now I smell it. I guess he ate it sooner then I expected." Zorin grunted, frowning. Alexx looked at him questioningly, and he motioned for her to follow him as he moved upstairs. As they neared the door leading to the bedroom upstairs, even Zorin could smell death even breathing lightly. Zorin pushed open the door, and Alexx recoiled in disgust, her ears flattened against her head and her tail involuntarily lashing from side to side. Zorin walked in, cringing slightly as he walked to the body of the previous owner, the Wood Elf he had stolen the ring from.

Grabbing the body, he flipped it over, and fell over backwards once he saw its face. Apparently, the poison in the apple he left was more potent then he had expected, as the mouth was completely burned away, leaving a gaping cavern, and the skin being eaten away slowly by the poison mixed in with the juice. One of his eyes was already being burned, and the skin of his throat was completely burned off, leaving the muscle tissue and veins left.

Alexx walked up behind Zorin to inspect the body. "Real pretty. Friend of yours?" She asked Zorin, grimacing slightly at the damage.

"Nah, we just met last week." Zorin replied, his eyes wide in disgust, slowly getting up.

"Well, what are we going to do? We can't very well just drag a body outside, it would raise to many questions." Alexx asked.

"We could take him downstairs to the basement and burn the body." Zorin offered. Alexx nodded and grabbed the body, lightly tossing him to Zorin. Scowling again, Zorin picked up the body and flung it across his shoulder, he took it down in the basement, Alexx moving on ahead. Once he reached the basement, he found a fourth of it cleared of anything flammable, with Alexx leaning against the wall, looking at him expectantly.

Gladly throwing the body to the floor, Zorin backed away from it, and launched a weak fireball spell at it, lighting it on fire. Alexx gave a sigh of relief and went upstairs to air the building out. They were going to use it as a base of operations for the mission after all. After Zorin made completely sure that all that was left was a pile of ash, which could be explained away if it was found, he went upstairs, and both him and Alexx realized that it was night, so they both decided to eat a quick meal, then turned in for the night, Alexx took the bed and Zorin took one of the couches.

In the middle of the night, Zorin shot up, a prickling sensation throughout his body that he was familiar with from previous moments. He felt a familiar presence next to him, but knew that if he looked no one would be there. Shrugging off the blanket he was using, he grabbed the Blade of Woe, opened up one of the windows, and then climbed out onto the roof. He sat down, shivered slightly from the night cold, and looked up at the moon now halfway across the sky. He did not know how long he stayed up there, but he jolted upwards, grasping his dagger, ready to strike. He was surprised to see Alexx standing on the roof, looking down at him, her arms crossed across her chest.

Zorin stood there for a moment, then put his dagger away, and sat back down, turning his back on his teacher. After a minute, she joined him, but remained quiet for the moment. They stayed like this, until Alexx poked Zorin in the side, wanting answers. "Why did you come up here, kiddo?" She pestered.

Zorin sighed, his eyes now losing focus. "Things like this happen sometimes. Don't worry about it."

"I call bullshit, now answer me."

Zorin remained silent, still looking up. Alexx frowned, then grabbed his head and turned it to face her, a shadow falling across his face in doing so. Alexx's eyes widened slightly as she looked at him, seeing his eyes flashing a dark red before settling back into their normal ocean blue. "Answer me, or I swear you won't hear the end of it." Alexx threatened.

Zorin remained silent, however not because of any lack of wanting to answer. Rather, his hormones decided to kick in at this moment, as he realized that Alexx, wearing a loose robe, her rather well-endowed chest and body, was VERY attractive, causing Zorin's face to heat up rather quickly and violently as well as his black pants to become slightly tighter. To prevent this being found, Zorin knocked Alexx's hand off, and quickly looked away at the street below, resulting in her raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Alright, alright I'll tell you." Zorin replied nervously, trying to get his mind away from its current trail of thought. After taking a deep breath, and thinking about his murdering Rufio and the other two in the Inn of Ill Omen, he finally managed to regain some lost composure, and started his explanation. "I don't honestly know why I woke up. It's happened before ever since Silvia and I left to visit a Daedric Shrine north of Cheydinhal, I don't remember why exactly. But when we were there, the shrine shone with a weird light that lit the entire area. After a while, it faded away, but ever since then, when its starting to become dusk, I go to where I get the clearest view and just watch it. It's almost like something is calling me when it happens. But, sometimes, I'll wake up when I am sleeping; I feel like someone is right next to me, but when I look, no one would ever be there. After a few times it happened, I realized that I couldn't go back to sleep for awhile, so I took to going outside to just look at the sky and think."

Alexx remained silent, looking up at the moon now, the light shining off her eye made it almost impossible to tell what she was thinking. Not that it helped at all, Zorin could never tell what she was thinking. Finally, she spoke up, "I know what its like, sort of. When I joined the Dark Brotherhood, I met this one guy who was extremely handsome, but I probably never know personally. After a few missions, I was called to meet him at a fort he made his home in. When I got there, it was in the dead of night, and when I finally met him inside, I felt as though I was going to fall asleep standing. He realized this, and offered to let me sleep there. I accepted, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and when I woke up, I was frankly startled to see that he was there next to me. I guess, after that, we got really close, and started sleeping like that more often. Soon, I would wake up thinking I felt his presence with me, but it was just my wishful thinking." Alexx smiled sadly, her eyes having a far off look in her eyes.

Shocked that she would even divulge this sort of information to someone who was more or less a stranger, Zorin remained silent, until Alexx shook her head and stood up. "Come on Zorin, let's get some more sleep before we go and get whatever information we can about these targets of ours." With that, she climbed back down and through the window. Zorin stood to follow, and soon did after giving the moon one last, sad look. Both were unaware of the form looking over them as they talked from across the way, hidden by the shadows. After they both returned to the building, the form jumped down to the street below, her paws hitting the pavement. _Soon, young master. Soon you will realize why you have these feelings, and my Mistress of Sun and Moon will reveal herself to you._ With that thought, the wolf walked down the streets, her eyes in the shape of the sun and the moon.

**I AM ON A MOTHER FUCKING ROLL HERE BITCHES!**

**Sorry for the language, but there will be language in this story of course, but rarely. I don't really know why; just don't feel like using it. Anyway, hope you all like the chapter, sorry it lacked in action of any sort, and was lacking in anyway. I hope you all keep up the reading, and tell more people about my story if you all like it enough to do so. Also, if I have any errors lore-wise, let me know and I will correct them as soon as possible. Anyway, next chapter will be out when it's done. Then we hopefully get some murdering in, Dark Brotherhood style! Of course, if people wish to put ideas on who Alexx's mysterious loved one is, feel free to tell others, via review or message me about it.**

**WingsofHermes**


	9. The Fang of Dawn and Dusk

Honor thy Mother

Chapter 9

The Fang of Dawn and Dusk

**Greetings, and welcome to another part this tale of a boy, watched by powers who have taken an interest in him as he follows the path of murder and learning what it means to live in the shadows. So without further ado, let our story begin. Oh, and this is where the blood and gore come into play, for those of you who are complete wimps and cant handle a little bloodshed.**

Zorin woke up slowly, grumbling slightly as the sunlight shone through the window. Cursing the light under his breath, Zorin sat up; rubbing his eyes as he slowly grew more aware of his surroundings. Looking to his left, he saw Alexx in a similar state, a glazed look in her eye and her ears almost straight out to the sides as she stretched. Zorin got up, cracking his neck in an effort to get rid of it's stiffness, then went to get his clothes on from his bag, and going downstairs to put them on, pausing only long enough to tell Alexx what he was doing.

As he slowly put on his outfit for the day, Zorin gradually grew awake enough to realize that there was a sword lying down on the table he had placed his clothes on. Frowning, as he was certain that there was no weapon of any kind there the night before, Zorin checked the lock on the door, and found it secure. Looking back at the sword, he was drawn to the artistry put into it. The blade itself was unique on its own, splitting down the center, with metal teeth on both ends of the blade in the middle of it, a diamond shape near the hilt that was also cut away from the blade. The hilt was studded with a large orange gem that seemed to hold an eerie cloud inside of it that constantly moved around, an ornate guard curving upwards to where it connected with the blade, and then curved back down. The gem was flanked with a type of dragon wings on the bottom of the guard, and below the gem were two more smaller matching gems. The handle itself was simple, with only a few lines going diagonally from the bottom to the top, coming up from yet another orange gem, this one a sphere being held by bars going down, the bars matching up with the lines.

Zorin picked it up and looked at the gems, the clouds swirling almost entrancing. He stood there, studying the blade, and was completely unaware of his surroundings as he marveled at it. "Now where in Oblivion did you get that beauty from kid?" Zorin almost jumped out of his skin once he heard Alexx's voice directly behind him. He turned to her and scowled, only to meet her grinning face. "Hey, I know it's early and all, but you might want to think about what your wearing today, I mean, we are going outside." She remarked, looking meaningfully down at his torso.

It was then Zorin realized that he had yet to put on his shirt, to which he scowled even more, and quickly put the shirt he had brought down with him on. Zorin grabbed the scabbard of his new sword, which was also next to it, slid it in, and buckled it to his side, pleasantly surprised that it was perfectly balanced against his hip. Alexx stood back as Zorin passed her, watching as the blade sat there as though it belonged, add to that the Blade of Woe strapped to one of his thighs and his black outfit with gold lining, the boy looked exactly the part of a noble. They left the house, locking it, ad then went to the Market District to grab something to eat, where Alexx planned to inform Zorin of the Tenets of the Dark Brotherhood.

They entered the inn, and took a table in the far back corner of the room. Alexx waited until the serving staff came to take their orders and left when she tapped the table to grab Zorin's attention. "This is probably the only time I will be able to start teaching you about the Brotherhood and how we work, unless we have to return to the house for whatever reason. First and foremost are the Five Tenets, which dictate how we interact with each other and the rest of Cyrodil when we are out. They are fairly basic, but still important." Alexx looked up to see Zorin's face twisted into a look of confusion and recognition. "The first tenet is to never dishonor the Night Mother, the head of our family. The second tenet is to never betray the Dark Brotherhood or its secrets."

By now Zorin had a frown on his face as though he was struggling to remember something, which Alexx had noticed. "Something wrong Zorin?" Alexx asked warily, careful to pursue the subject of the tenets, as the serving woman was nearby. Zorin shook his head as he continued to frown, and Alexx filed this incident away. "If you say so. The third tenet is-"

"Never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood. Never steal the possessions of a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. Never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To break any of these is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis." Zorin spouted off, his voice gaining a slight daedric quality to it as he spoke; despite the fact that he had never heard of the Five Tenets before, let alone heard the Dark Brotherhood following any law other then follow the rules of the contracts given. Alexx's eyes widened, her ears perking up, as she looked at Zorin in shock. Zorin gave a small nervous grin and shrugged in response.

Out of nowhere, the serving maid came up behind Zorin, smiling pleasantly at the boy, and placed down their orders, to which the two thanked her, and continued discussing the Dark Brotherhood after she had left. By the time Alexx and Zorin were done, the teenage boy was worried that he was going to mess up at least one of the laws governing the Brotherhood, to which Alexx laughed and told him to not worry when he voiced his concerns. As they finished their meal, and lecture, and left the inn, Alexx stopped her student and quietly told him "We need to look for anyone that has information on our targets before we actually start hunting for the two of them." Zorin nodded in understanding, and immediately ran off towards the Waterfront District, followed behind by a slightly shocked Alexx, who honestly had no idea what he was up too.

As the duo reached the district, Zorin hurried to the Marie Elena to find the First Mate, the Dunmer named Malvulis, who was standing out on guard as usual. Zorin could swear that she stayed out there all day, everyday and never slept or ate, but was nevertheless grateful when she told him she wouldn't put her cutlass through him. As he ran up to her, a hinting of a smile crossed her face as she nodded to the young boy, who smirked and nodded back. "What winds brings you and your friend to me today, Zorin?" She asked as Alexx.

"That's not something we can-" Alexx reply coldly but was cut off by the raven-haired boy.

"We need any information on an Orc that goes by the name of Greck and a Nord named Cairn." Zorin asserted, earning a glare from his teacher, and a quizzical look from the Dunmer.

"Why are you asking about them, Zorin?" Malvulis asked, a hint of panic and alarm entering her voice.

"Just want to know what we can about them. I guess from your reaction that you do know something about them." Zorin replied, his voice noticeably more mature then before as he pointed to Malvulis's clenched fists, who called one of the other pirates over to take her place, and hurried the pair inside the ship into her quarters. Once inside, she practically tore apart her desk, grabbing papers from random stacks.

"I don't know why you want to look for those two in particular, Zorin, but I learned to stop asking questions when you ask me for things like this. Unfortunately, you picked the wrong two guys to look for. They have their hands in practically everything illegal in Cyrodil, and sometimes even the legal systems. Skooma dealing, slave trade, prostitution rings trafficking in boys and girls from all corners of Tamriel, weapon dealings, assassinations, stealing, grave robbing, information on damn near everything, you name it, they pretty much have it available, and if they don't, they will get it to their clients. And they are always armed, and make no mistake; they are well-versed in all forms of combat, from what I have heard. The Greck makes a point to fight with a large weapon to seem like a typical Orc, but then will turn around and burn your rear end to a crisp, just because he can." Malvulis told them quietly, handing a paper to Zorin, who glanced at it and saw that it gave a meeting place and time. "That's where they meet to do business with clients. People who know where to meet them are always waiting there. The Watch knows about them, but can't do anything because of Cairn bribes the captains to look the other way."

"Sounds like fun. I am really looking forward to our work." Alexx replied, rolling her eyes, sarcasm extremely evident. Zorin only nodded, thanked Malvulis for her time and information, and then left the boat in a hurry. By unspoken consent, the pair walked back to the house to prepare themselves for the meeting that they were going to take a part it later that night. When they got there, they put on long black, hooded cloaks, Alexx taking her Ebony sword, and her bow and arrows, hiding them inside her cloak. Zorin, however, opted to stay with his new sword and his Blade of Woe, switching its hiding place so that it was strapped to his back, within easy reach of his left hand.

As they left the house, Zorin couldn't shake the feeling that he was being observed again, but couldn't see anyone watching them. They approached the Tiber Septim Hotel, where the meetings took place at the fall of night, when Zorin noticed a faint blue glow coming from his new sword, as opposed to the orange glow it gave off earlier that day. Zorin looked at it in confusion, and saw that the orange gems was slowly changing to blue as the sun dipped deeper behind the horizon. Alexx also looked at the sword, concerned what it might do, but shrugged it off and grabbed the young boy to hurry him inside.

It was only when they actually got inside did they notice the few clients that where there, three to be precise, all looking like high society, which earned a look of disgust from Zorin, who had a distinct distaste for nobles and such. Zorin and Alexx pulled their hoods down lower to cover their faces from being seen. As they sat down on one of the benches, one of the clients, a rather large woman who simply screamed privileged and pampered, looked over at them and asked in a snobbish excuse for polite tone, "I say, do you honestly think that mister Cairn and mister Greck would bother to deal with street trash like yourself children?" Zorin had to grip the bench to keep himself from flying at the rich bitch, and was about to retort, when the door banged open and the two men who they had all come to see walked inside.

"My dear, dear woman, we do not care if they are the poorest of the poor out of the Waterfront, or from the highest point of the societal ladder, such as yourself, we only care that if you have business with us, and if you do, how you will repay us for this work." The Nord, Cairn, replied in a cheerfully complacent tone. The woman waved him off dismissively and then launched into a long complaint of how long she had to wait, and that being with the middle class was beginning to stain her beauty (Zorin had to literally bite his tongue from laughing out loud at that) and that next time she expected them to be early so that she could get back to her manor. The pair of men dealt with her request, telling her that they would deliver the item she requested within the week, they didn't specify what the package might be.

The next was a Bosmer, whose hair was styled straight up and in a curvy design near the top, who immediately requested another Khajiit servant girl, according to the man, the last one wasn't working as well as she should and had to be punished regularly. Zorin could feel the hatred coming from Alexx as he saw her tail stiffen, and laid a calming hand on her shoulder, which calmed her down, but only slightly. She still looked ready to gut the little man.

The last one was an elderly man, who simply gave them a pouch of gold, and left without a word. After the other two nobles left after being promised what they wanted, the Orc and Nord turned to the pair in the black cloaks. The Orc came up and sat across from them, saying, "I apologize for making you wait, but you must understand how these high society folk are. Always thinking everything should be centered around them, demanding the impossible. Now then, what can we help you with tonight?" For all the world, the Orc sounded like the most pleasant sounding person in the world, despite his work.

"Tell me, is there any one who would want you dead?" Alexx spoke up, standing to face the Orc.

"A fair number, I would imagine. They don't necessarily understand that we do it for very valid reasons. I have customers to appeal to, and those that are less fortunate aren't exactly pleasant to us when we try to fulfill their requests." Cairn responded from the side, his wrist resting calmly against the hilt of his Elven Longsword, a curious look on his face. "Why do you ask?"

Alexx turned to look at Zorin and nodded for him to stand up and said, "Our father wants to see you himself." Then all hell broke loose.

Zorin dashed towards Cairn, pulling out his sword in the same motion, slashing outwards when it was free of its scabbard. Cairn leapt backwards, and pulled out his own blade, and held it in front of him. Alexx cast a Hail Fire spell at the seated Orc, who lunged out the way, rolled away from the Nekojin, and pulled out his Glass Greatsword, holding at the ready as Alexx pulled out her Ebony sword. Zorin swung at the Nord's head, who ducked down, and stabbed at the boys abdomen, which was promptly deflected away.

Alexx was having a difficult time getting in close to her opponent, his giant sword being swung around with more dexterity then one would find in an Orc, and Alexx had no intention of becoming a Nekojin stain on the floor to be cleaned up later. Alexx shot a spark spell, knocking his arm out of its original course as it came at her and ducked in, slashing at the mans large legs, cutting in deeply, but she had missed the femoral artery where she was aiming. She leapt away as the sword came back down, catching the end of her cloak. Alexx tossed a small table at the Orc and glanced at her student, who seemed to be in a deadlock with the Nord, neither scoring a hit, but neither backing down.

Abruptly, she launched a fire spell at the Nord, who was caught by surprise by her interference, and watched in satisfaction as Zorin's blade dug into his opponent's side, causing him to howl in pain and rear back. The Nord felt a biting cold enter his body when the sword cut his skin, worse then the coldest winter in his homeland of Skyrim. He was suddenly faced by the second figure, who immediately launched a flurry of attacks towards him, but he couldn't get away, nor could he attack in retaliation.

Zorin, after a second of shock, focused his attention on the large Orc, who seemed to be grinning at the thought of facing this new opponent with the unique sword. Without warning, Zorin dashed towards him, unclasping his cloak and tossing it in front of him, catching Greck by surprise. Greck tore the cloak away from him just in time to see the unique blade drive itself into his thigh, the wound freezing up, causing numbing pain to flare up in his leg. Greck immediately cast a fire spell to get the boy away from him, and swung his giant sword to give himself some breathing room.

Zorin ducked inside his swings, and with a speed that surprised even him, lopped off half of one hand from an awkward swing, and sliced off an ear, then backed away just as quickly. He didn't know what was happening to him, he felt as though every nerve was on fire and a tingling sensation was shooting through him. In this fight, he felt alive, more alive then he ever had before. He licked his lips in anticipation, waiting for the next opening, as Greck somehow was able to still swing his sword, despite having a hand and a half. He heard a scream in pain and the sound of crashing furniture, and was joined by a slightly winded Alexx, and together the two began their deadly dance with their large partner, weaving in and out of his wide swings, catching him with small cuts and wounds.

After awhile, it was clear that Greck wouldn't be able to keep going for much longer, then they heard the sound of running feet, and Greck howled in outrage. "Damn you Cairn! Come back and help me you damn son of a whore!" Zorin looked behind him, and saw Cairn had run off up the stairs, blood trailing behind him.

"I am going after him!" Zorin told Alexx, then ran off before she could respond, eager to play the game of cat and mouse. As he sprinted up the stairs, he followed the blood trail, leading from one hall to another, occasionally a fallen patron coming out to investigate the sound of battle coming from below. Finally, the trail led into another room, where Zorin spotted Cairn holding a woman, who was apparently getting ready for sleep, as she was wearing only her undergarments. Zorin, with much willpower, kept his face its normal pale shade, glaring at Cairn.

"Listen kid, you're good if you can go head to head with me and not get hit. But think about it, what is killing me going to accomplish? I have money, connections, power, hell I have women if I want them. I saw what your partner is capable of, and I can tell you, that Greck isn't going to live, I know that. But why don't you come with me? I can set you up with our business, too, you can get anything you want! Besides, what's that friend of yours to you anyway huh?" Cairn desperately spoke to the boy whose eyes promised a painful death if he got the chance.

Zorin reached up to his neck with his left hand, cracked it, and simply said, "Family." He then threw the Blade of Woe that he had taken out when he cracked his neck, catching Cairn in the elbow with the sword. Cairn screamed in pain and fell backwards, dropping his sword. Without pause, Zorin dashed forward, brushing past the half naked woman, grabbed the Elven Sword and cut off Cairn's arms, causing the howls of pain to increase. Zorin became a demon, swinging and cutting with his two blades with precision, making each strike hurt, until finally kicking Cairn out of the room, and tossed the Elven Sword like a javelin, catching the Nord in the neck, severing his head as it balanced in the blade itself, with its body falling away. Zorin grinned slightly, panting lightly, looking down at his handiwork.

Zorin retrieved his Blade of Woe from the severed arm, and cleaned the blood off by wiping it on the clothes of the now dead Nord. He placed both blades away and was about to leave when he heard the woman behind him clear her throat. Zorin turned around, looking at her face, despite his hormones screaming at him to take in everything he can.

"Um, thank you for helping me." The woman replied, bowing slightly. "I know this sounds strange, but, I would appreciate it if I could see you again." Zorin cocked his head to the side questioningly, but the woman only shrugged in response. "I don't know why myself, but if you ever wish to meet again, my name is Callista. What is yours?" Zorin scowled.

"I can't tell you, the Watch will come after me if I do." With that, Zorin ran off down the hall, back downstairs. Once there, he saw the bloody body of the Orc formerly known as Greck, with Alexx standing over him, her cloak torn and bloodied as well.

"Well needless to say, I think we will need to get new cloaks. Did you get Cairn?" Alexx inquired.

"Cut his head off." Zorin replied curtly, shaking the memory of the circumstances he had fought Cairn in off as best he could.

"Good, we are done, now let's get the hell out of here before the Watch shows up and haul us off to prison." With that, Alexx turned and ran off out the door into the night, followed closely behind by her student.

**AND CUT! Take five people that's a wrap. Alright, hopefully I did a somewhat decent fight scene; I am actually not that good with them. And I apologize to anyone who was slightly upset by this late update (fangirl not included) Callista will play a larger role later in the story, but for now, you will not be told why or how. As usual, I would appreciate a review telling me how I did, if I got anything wrong lore or story wise. Also note, I changed the layout of the Tiber Septim Hotel (TSH for short), but it supposed to be the most expensive and luxurious in all of the Imperial City, so it should be large. I took a few creative liberties, so what? Not sure when I will update again, but until then, hope this satisfies you all.**

**WingsofHermes**


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